Friday, January 21, 2011

Australian Open 2011: Caroline Wozniacki takes charge in press room | Kevin Mitchell

Today's blog from the Australian Open is given over to the Danish world No1 as she looks to prove she is anything but boring

Today, readers, we have a guest blogger. You might find her a refreshing change. I think she certainly did. She was candid, funny and quite different. Over to you, at a most unusual press conference* ? Caroline Wozniacki!

"Yesterday I got the question by the media. They said that my press conferences were kind of boring, that I always gave the same answers.

I find it quite funny because I always get the same questions. So I'm just going to start. I know what you're going to ask me already. So I'm just going to start with the answer.

I felt great out there today on the court. I think I played a pretty good match. I am happy I got the revenge since I lost to her in Sydney last week. It was not an easy match. She went out there, she was really on fire.

I'm happy to be through to the next round. I don't know who I'm playing, so maybe you can ask me that afterwards. But I'm really looking forward to playing my fourth round. It's the second time in a row that that's happened.

What I do need to do to win this tournament, if I feel like I played too defensively today. I feel like I had to do that. I had to run a lot of balls down today because she was playing really aggressively, trying to hit from the first point.

But I felt, when I had the chance, I was really focused and tried to step it up, especially with my serve a bit. When she put the second serve in, I tried to take the advantage straightaway.

If I deserve to be No1 ? if this was another proof that I belong there: again, I don't feel any pressure to be No1. I really enjoy myself. I've had a great year and a great tournament so far. So I'm just happy to be in the next round, and hopefully I can pull a win through.

My racquet feels really good (laughter). The racquet is really helping me out. I feel like there are no problems. I enjoy playing with it. So, I'm just happy to be here. Hopefully this was a little bit different than usual, and now you can maybe give me some questions that are a little bit more interesting, a little bit different than what I usually get."

Question: So where did you hear that your press conferences were dull?

Wozniacki: I heard that the South American media said to the Danish media that they would like to get to know me better, but [that] I always answer the same questions. When I get the questions, I answer what I can answer. If they ask me about the match, I cannot really say that I like eating bananas. I try to do my best here.

Question: We don't need to ask you any questions now because you already answered them. Anything you want to ask us?

Wozniacki: What do you want to know about me? That would be more interesting.

Question: How did you go at the cricket yesterday?

Wozniacki: That was a lot of fun. I met two of the guys there, Finch and Peter Siddle. They're really great guys. They learned me how to throw and how to hit the ball, so that was quite fun.

Question: Maybe you could play baseball and then the Americans would be happy.

Wozniacki: Maybe. Maybe I should think about that for next time I change sports.

Question: Do you have any thoughts on the appointment of Kenny Dalglish at Liverpool?

Wozniacki: I'm hoping that that will give some positive energy into the guys, into the lads. I'm hoping things will turn and they'll start winning more matches. It's tough to be a supporter and see them having a hard time. But it's a sport, and I'm sure it will turn sooner or later.

Question: How should we solve global warming?

Wozniacki: Global warming? I'm flying quite a bit, so that doesn't really help (laughter). Uhm, go green. Make cars that don't use so much gas. Make them electric. That would already help. Use the buses, the trains, instead of taking the car. When you take a shower, don't stay there for half an hour. Two minutes is enough. Even the girls.

Question: When did you decide to do the press conference like this?

Wozniacki: Just now, because I thought it's a bit different, a bit more fun.

Question: Have you taken notes? Did you write your notes down?

Wozniacki: Yes, I took a few. I have many more questions, but I didn't want to bore all of you with them all the time.

Question: We can ask you personal questions from now on, all the way through the tournament?

Wozniacki: Well, if you feel like it. I'm not sure if I'm going to answer anything, if the answer is going to be too personal.

Question: When are you going to get married and how many kids are you going to have?

Wozniacki: First I have to find a guy.

Question: What do you expect in a guy?

Wozniacki: What do I expect? Honesty. Understanding what I'm doing. Maybe a sports person himself.

Question: You're not going to find it in here!

Wozniacki: Sometimes the media is too good-looking here, so I can't really focus on what I'm supposed to say (laughter).

Question: How much do you read about yourself in the media?

Wozniacki: Honestly, I don't really read about myself. I look at the pictures sometimes. Sometimes I'm looking at them and I'm thinking, they could choose some better ones. But I don't spend time reading about myself because I know what I'm up to. I prefer to read about other people.

Question: Do your parents have scrapbooks?

Wozniacki: My mom is cutting out quite a few things. She keeps them. But there are so many articles, I think just when she when falls over it she will cut it out and put it in there.

Question: You'll appreciate it when you're a granny.

Wozniacki: I'll have my husband and kids, and hopefully I can have them something to share.

Question: You have a big support team here. Can you talk a little bit about your entourage?

Wozniacki: I have my mom, my dad is here. My dad is my coach, so he's always there with me. My mom is my great supporter. It's always nice to have her around. She can cook. It's nice to have some home-cooked food sometimes. I like to bake, so sometimes I do the desserts. I don't eat too much desserts though, because I need to be able to move around on the court. The adidas team are here. Sven and Mats are here working out, like always. I have my agent here following my press conference. He was a bit nervous when I said I was going to do this in a different way today. But I think I'm safe, right?

Question: Yeah, you did all right.

Wozniacki: Okay.

Question: Are you generally annoyed about the questions about being No1?

Wozniacki: I got used to them. I feel I deserve to be there. I've done so well last year, and hopefully I can continue my roll this year. I know that you guys have to write about something, and that's a pretty good question to ask. But I think it's time to move on and ask some other questions now.

Question: Do you feel it's unfair that Zvonareva hasn't won any slams and she's No2.

Wozniacki: Both me and Zvonareva have had a great year. Vera was in two finals last year. I won six tournaments, the most of anyone. I won the most matches. I think that proves that we're good players. You don't reach those rankings without playing really well throughout the year.

Question: If you could sit here and ask any player any question, what would you ask?

Wozniacki: Depends on the player. I know them so well. I could put some of them on the spot, but I wouldn't like to do that.

Question: What about Andy Murray?

Wozniacki: Andy Murray? For sure I would not ask him if he thinks that he will win a grand slam this year, because he's got asked that question quite a few times. I know he likes to play PlayStation, so I'd probably ask him a few questions about that. And about soccer, because I know he likes Arsenal, no?

Question: Hibernian.

Wozniacki: I think he likes a few teams maybe. I'd ask him a few questions about that, too. I think we'd get an interesting conversation going.

Question: How good are you on the piano?

Wozniacki: I was pretty good. I'm not really great anymore. I stopped playing when I was, I think, 13 and I haven't played since. But I want to make a bet with my dad, because he says there's no way that I can actually start playing again. I want to prove him wrong. I think I'm gonna try to start again. I'm just gonna ask my agent every time I get to a tournament to have a keyboard in my room. That would be good

Question: Is there one piece of classical music you like above all others?

Wozniacki: Not really. You know what I like? I think it's beautiful when you can just sit down at the piano, you don't have any notes, you don't have anything, and you're able to play whatever you want. I think that's what I'd like to try to do again.

Cheers all round

*Selectively pruned, with sympathy, for uhms, ahs, kindas, actuallies, likes, todays, out theres, reallies, I thinks, I means and ya knows. And that's just the journalists.


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